Never Trust a Snake
by Anna Devika
Summary: Ginny has a boyfriend and no one knows who. When something terrible happens, who can she turn to? Some mature content. Post book 5/6. Constructive criticism / reviews are appreciated!


'Finally,' Ginny thought as her parents pulled up in front of King's Cross Station and Fred and George hopped out to get the trollies for their luggage.

"Does everyone have everything?" Mrs. Weasley asked them for the hundredth time that morning.

"Yes Mum," the Weasley children chorused, unpacking the trunk of the car. For Ginny it had been an interminably long summer, and she was anxious to get on the Hogwarts Express. Plus there was a certain someone on the train who she couldn't wait to get her hands on. Involuntarily, she giggled, and George immediately started teasing her.

"Oooh Ginny, gonna see your _boyfriend_ on the train?" he asked, and Fred batted his eyelashes at his sister, breaking off to laugh uproariously with his brother.

"Oh leave her alone," Harry said, pushing his trolly over to where the Weasley's were gathering. Fred and George exchanged a meaningful look and walked off to help their mother with a "humpf."

"Hey Ginny," Harry said, stopping to help her lift her trunk onto her trolly.  
"I don't need you to defend me Harry," she retorted, her voice cold. "I'm quite capable of taking care of myself thank you." And with that she threw her trunk onto her trolly and pushed it away, staying a few steps ahead of the rest of the family.

"What's with her?" Ron asked, coming up beside his best friend.

"I have no idea…" Harry replied, staring as the girl who'd had a crush on him for years stalked away as though she hated him.

"Oh that little show won't fool us Harry," Fred said, winking at him.

"Yeah," George agreed. "We know what's really going on between you two." Laughing, the twins walked off, following Ginny towards the platform.

"What's with _them_?" Harry asked Ron, now staring bewildered at the twins retreating backs,

"Oh, they've been teasing Ginny about her new boyfriend," Ron explained, heaving his trunk onto his trolly as his mother came over to scold him for being slow. As Mrs Wesley walked off, calling to Ginny to wait up, Ron lowered his voice and leaned towards Harry. "Fred and George are convinced it's you, Harry."

"Me?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, you're Ginny's boyfriend, that's what they've been saying all summer," Ron continued. "Of course, I told them that wasn't true." He paused. "Right mate? I mean, you'd at least tell _me_ if you were dating my little sister, right?"

"Of course I would Ron, but I'm not dating Ginny. I didn't know she was dating anyone to be honest. She hasn't spoken to me since before our OWLs last year." Sighing, they threw their weight behind their trollies and trotted off after the rest of Ron's family. Last through the barrier, Ron and Harry emerged onto the crowded platform and fought their way through the crowd as best they could. Hedwig let out a hoot as she spotted Hermione waving to the boys.

"Harry! Ron! Over here!" She had already deposited her trolly by the baggage car and was standing, holding Crookshanks, waiting for her friends to get there. "What took you guys so long?" she asked.

"The usual," Ron muttered. "Ginny couldn't find her favorite lip gloss and the twins set off some firecrackers and Mum had a fit… And then Dad realized he'd forgotten a new Muggle artifact he'd wanted to bring to show Harry…" Ron's mumbling continued, and Hermoine turned to Harry. "How was your summer Harry?"

"It was alright I suppose. It'll be nice to be away from the Dursley's for a bit though. How was yours?"

"It was fabulous! Did you know we've got this new book and it's simply fascinating!" Her babbling about the textbooks joined Ron's mumbling about his family, and Harry lead the way onto the train, poking his head into compartments until he found an empty one.

"Seen anyone else yet Hermoine?" Ron asked as they settled into their seats.

"I saw Luna, but she was talking to her Dad so she didn't see me waving. I'm sure she'll find-" Hermoine stopped as Luna walked into their compartment and smiled her Luna Lovegood smile. "Hello Harry, Ron, Hermoine." She sat down next to Ron, who shifted a bit closer to the window, still a little nervous around Luna Lovegood.

Luna turned towards Ron and started to say something, moving closer, when Neville walked in, carrying Trevor under one arm. "Neville!" Ron exclaimed, seeming overly glad to see the other boy. Luna humpfed and crossed her arms, leaning back into her seat and refusing to budge, even when Ron tried to get past her to sit next to Neville.

"Hey Ron, Harry, Hermoine. Luna," Neville nodded, and blushed ever so slightly as he smiled at Luna. She smiled back, her ill-humour gone as she moved aside to let him sit next to her, practically sitting on Ron in the process. Ron scrambled out of the way and plopped himself next to Hermoine.

"So, Hermoine," he began, leaning closer to her.

"Yes Ron?" she asked, waving out the window to her parents.

"You're friends with Ginny, and uh, I was uh, wondering…"

"You were wondering who her boyfriend is. Well you can save your breath Ronald Weasley, because I don't know and I wouldn't tell you even if I did know. Gossip is not a respectable pastime," she huffed, turning resolutely to the window.

" But Hermoine…" Ron whined.

"Ginny has a boyfriend?" Neville piped up. Luna looked at Ron also, fixing him with her wide and staring eyes. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Gossip is not a respectable pastime," he repeated lamely. Sliding down in his seat, he closed his eyes and pretended to go to sleep. Hermoine smirked beside him. Harry just chuckled to himself at his friends who were so obviously falling for each other, and not noticing. With a sigh he glanced down the hallway, looking to see if anyone else would join their compartment for the train ride. Not that there was much room.

The hallway was crammed with students rushing to find places to sit, parents bringing their children the last-minute items that were always forgotten in the rush to get back to school. Everyone was looking for friends, sharing summer stories. Everyone was busy paying attention to something other than the red-headed girl who darted into an already taken compartment. The shades were closed, and from Harry's vantage point, he couldn't see anything more. With a resolute sigh, he leaned back into his seat and tuned back in to the conversation.

Was he always that cute? His hair didn't used to fall into his eyes that way, and his smile wasn't nearly that charming when they'd parted ways at the beginning of summer. It had been hard not seeing him for the summer months. She'd tried to write a few times, but his responses had always been short and she knew she was taking a huge risk, what with Fred and George on the prowl for any clues that would give him away. As he stepped towards her she grinned, unable to help herself.

"Hey babe," he said in that smooth, deepening voice that made her knees tremble. Why did everyone hate him? What was there to hate? He was so very wonderful around her, she just couldn't see it. If only the rest of them knew him like she did. He abruptly put an end to her train of thoughts as he swooped in and kissed her deeply. She hugged him tightly, resting her head against his shoulder and smiled.

"How was your summer?" she asked.

"Empty without you," he replied, his chest rumbling as he spoke. She giggled and looked back up at him. 'Who would have ever thought that Draco could love a girl like me?' she thought wonderously.

"Harry? Are you alright?" Ron asked, peering closely at his best friend who had suddenly gone pale. All eyes in the train compartment turned towards him, studying him closely.

"What?" he gasped, turning to look at them all. "Oh yeah. Yeah sure, I'm fine." He smiled at Ron and tried desperately to look like he was interested in their conversation as it slowly resumed. But behind he fixed smile, his thoughts were whirling madly with what he'd just seen. Ginny, walking out of the compartment she'd gone into earlier, and a couple of minutes later, Draco Malfoy has stuck his head into the aisle to holler for Crabbe and Goyle to join him. No one else has seemed to notice, since most students were sitting now that the train was moving steadily towards Hogwarts.

"Harry, are you sure you're alright?" Hermoine asked, her voice full of concern as she leaned towards Harry. "Was it something to do with… You Know Who?"

Neville gulped and Ron laughed nervously, while Luna turned blank, staring eyes in Harry's direction.

"No Hermoine, nothing to do with him, and I'm fine." Harry sounded a bit angrier than he meant to, but he was still trying to comprehend how Ginny, Ron's sweet and innocent little sister, could have ever gotten mixed up with Malfoy. "I'm going for a walk," he announced, moving off down the train car. They all watched him leave with bewildered eyes; Hermoine finally shrugged it off and started explaining chapter 3 of their new textbook in even more detail to a less-than-captured audience.

Harry walked down the aisle, lost in his own thoughts and fuming silently at Malfoy. He didn't notice a sweet and innocent red-haired girl stepping out of a compartment in front of him, followed by girlish giggles. She was about to say hi to Harry when he ran straight into her, tumbling them both to the floor.

"Oh Ginny, I'm sorry," he spluttered, hurrying to stand up and extending a hand to her.

"Look Harry, I'm sorry about earlier…" she began, but he didn't let her finish.

"Don't worry about it." Harry tried to smile at her and failed. Behind him, he heard another compartment door slide open. Not wanting anyone else concerning themselves over the lost look in his eyes, Harry tried to squeeze past Ginny. Noticing that Ginny had an incredible grin on her face, he turned to see who had joined them in the aisle.

"Running away Potter?" Of course. Malfoy. Harry rolled his eyes at whatever fate had decided to ruin his day and turned to face the blonde boy.

"You wish Malfoy," he returned, glaring daggers at his enemy.

Draco was about to sneer back a reply when Ginny stepped forward, and turned a hurt look towards Harry. "Stop it, please?" she asked. He staggered back as the physical force behind her words hit him. Looking over her shoulder to Malfoy, he could only stare. With a contemptuous look, Malfoy turned to go back into his compartment. He paused before sliding the door closed and looked back at his girlfriend and his enemy. "Figures," he spat. "You two are perfect for each other."

Ginny turned to look at Malfoy, hoping that he was doing what she thought he was doing. And then, contrary to what he'd just implied, he turned so that anyone in the compartment couldn't see him, checked that no one was in the aisle except the three of them, and blew Ginny a kiss.

Harry watched Ginny closely as the door slid shut. She was grinning again, practically on the verge of a giggle attack. "Ginny?"

She turned wide, love-filled eyes to him. "Oh Harry, isn't he just…" And then she realized what Harry knowing about her and Draco meant. "Please Harry, please don't tell anyone," she begged. "We don't want anyone to know, they wouldn't understand…"

He nodded. "Fine, I won't tell. I wouldn't dare be the one to hurt your family like that. But watch yourself Ginny, he's not what you think he is," Harry said, he voice gruff.

"He's wonderful Harry, he truly is." Ginny's pleading look implored him to believe her. Not saying anything, Harry turned and continued walking away down the train car, thinking as he walked.

They had been at Hogwarts for a few months now, and Harry and Ginny had exchanged a mere handful of words. Harry had wanted to talk to her, try to ignore the fact that she was Malfoy's girlfriend and be friends with her again. But she was avoiding him, making sure she was always surrounded by people and coming up with excuses to run away from him when he found her alone.

With a sigh, Harry headed down the stairs into dinner, hoping that Ron and Hermoine would cheer him up. The hardest part about all this was the twins. Fred and George had got it into their head that Harry and Ginny were a couple, and the fact that Harry and Ginny were never spotted together only made them believe it more.

They ambushed him now as he headed towards the Great Hall. "So Harry, gonna have dinner with our sister tonight?" Fred asked.

"Gonna take her to the Three Broomsticks, buy her a drink?" George chimed in.

"You'd better watch yourself, Harry," Fred warned, George nodding his agreement. "Cuz we're watching you," they said, walking off to join their friends for dinner.

Pausing, Harry let the twins walk in to the Great Hall, wanting a few minutes to collect himself. He'd stopped trying long ago to convince them that it wasn't him, he wasn't the one making Ginny smile. Much as he would like it to be.

A stifled cry coming from a shadowy corner near the staircase caught his attention. Hoping that this wouldn't be some new disaster that everyone would blame on him, Harry cautiously approached the corner. As he tried to make out the two figures standing close together, one of them smacked the other, hard, and stomped angrily towards the cheery-looking dinner hall.  
"What do you want, Potter?" Malfoy sneered, stalking past him. In the dark recesses of the staircase, Ginny gasped and hoped that Harry would be distracted enough by Malfoy's presence that she could slip away up the stairs. Luck was not on her side tonight however, as Harry ignored Malfoy completely and darted up the stairs after Ginny.

"Are you alright?" he asked, reaching out a hand to steady Ginny in her headlong dash up the staircase.

"I'm fine Harry," she said, wrenching her arm away. "Why wouldn't I be?" She ran faster, wishing that he would just leave her alone. Not daring to look back, she spat the password to the painting that hid the entrance to the Gryffindor tower and threw herself onto the couch, no longer able to hold back her tears. She didn't hear Harry come into the deserted common room; she was only aware that he was there when he sat beside her on the couch.

"Ginny, please, tell me what happened." His only answer was a loud, heart-wrenching sob. Ginny sat up, tears leaving bright, shining trails down her cheeks, and fixed an angry glare at Harry.

"Why do you always interfere? Isn't your own life exciting enough? You just have to come traipsing into mine, don't you?" she spat, venom behind her words. Harry knew that what she has said was hurtful, and that if he hadn't seen what he has downstairs he probably would have left right then and there. But knowing that Ginny was hurt and that she was angry at someone else, he let the words slip past him unheard and reached out to touch Ginny's shoulder. She flung off his comforting hand, and aimed a punch at his chest, wanting to hurt someone, something, wanting this hurt to be anywhere but in her heart. Harry caught her fist easily, pulling her closer to him and trying to wrap his arms around her while she flailed and tried to get him off. She lost her energy and will to fight quickly though, and collapsed into Harry's comforting embrace, letting go of all the emotions she'd kept bottled up inside. Her sobs eventually got quieter, silent tears now the only things escaping her eyelids. Sitting up a bit, Ginny raised red-rimmed eyes to Harry and smiled through her tears.

"Thank you Harry," she said sincerely. "You're a better friend than I deserve."

Harry couldn't think of what to say, so he brought her into a tight hug again, wishing he could kiss her pain and sadness away and knowing that he couldn't. They were still like that when the first group back from dinner arrived. Quiet immediately descended over the group that entered the common room, no one quite sure what to make of the scene before them. Fred and George, the first ones to shake off the shock, whooped loudly and shook hands enthusiastically.

"We knew it!" they said triumphantly. And then Ginny looked at them, and the moment they realized that she had been crying, they turned narrowed eyes to Harry. Ron and Hermoine walked around from behind the twins, trying to understand what was going on.

"Neville, mate, go ask the Fat Lady to give us a minute and keep everyone outside, ok?" Ron asked. The shorter boy nodded and climbed quickly back out to speak to the painting. Hermoine wordlessly came forward and guided Ginny upstairs, promising to get the younger girl some dinner once things had quieted down in the kitchen. Ron glanced from his brothers to his friend, wondering who he should support.

"What did you do to her?" George finally hissed into the silence.

"It's not what I did," Harry said, standing and getting sudden inspiration. "It's what you did, the two of you. All the teasing, torturing, whispered comments and snide remarks. She couldn't take it anymore."

Stricken, the twins lowered their eyes. Without saying anything, they both glanced one last time at Harry and the ice in his eyes, and climbed up towards their dorm, no longer triumphant or angry. Ron looked at Harry and raised an eyebrow.

"What's really going on Harry?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

Harry sighed, rubbed his scar and sat back down on the couch. "Ginny's boyfriend said something, did something, to upset her. I happened to be there and all she needed was a hug and a shoulder to cry on. That's it. Nothing else happened, not between me and her." Harry raised his eyes to meet Ron's, begging his friend to believe that it wasn't him who'd made Ginny cry. "And please don't ask me who he is Ron. She's the one who needs to tell you; it's her secret and not mine."

Ron nodded once, and went out to get Neville as Harry heaved himself up towards his bed and sleep.

Harry was busy the next day, running from class to class and finally found himself in front of the fire after everyone had gone to bed, working on an assignment that he and Ron had neglected to do. Ron had gone off to chase after Hermoine, begging her to help them, while Harry tapped his fingers on the common room table, staring at nothing in particular as he thought.

He heard quiet footsteps coming down the stairs. Glancing up, he saw that it wasn't Ron or Hermoine; it was Ginny. He smiled at her, his smile widening when she smiled back.

"Hey Harry," she said, sitting herself on the couch next to him.

"Alright there Ginny?" he asked, still concerned after the events last night.

"Yeah, I suppose…" She let that hang there, staring into the fire blankly.

"You wanna tell me what happened?" Harry asked tentatively. When she shook her head, he furrowed his brow. "Alright fine, Ginny Weasley. You don't have to explain anything to me, I'm not your boyfriend or your brother after all. But you don't deserve that kind of treatment and you know it. Or at least, the Ginny I thought I knew knows it."

With that, Harry resolutely pulled his homework towards him and started scribbling furiously. "Harry," Ginny began, and stopped. She took a deep breath and plunged forwards. "Harry, thank you for last night. You're a good friend. But the rest of it is my own business and I'm sorry that you feel the way that you do." Sighing, she stood and looked down at the top of Harry's head.

"Good night Harry," she said, turning and heading for bed. Harry didn't have to sit alone with his thoughts for very long before Ron came bounding victoriously towards him, holding out Hermoine's notes and grinning like a madman.

"It took a lot of wheedling, but I finally got it!" he said triumphantly, plopping into the seat that Ginny had vacated moments before.

Shaking aside his mood, Harry grinned back at Ron. "How did you convince her this time?" he asked. When Ron blushed a violent shade of red, Harry just raised his eyebrows at him curiously.

"Um, the usual stuff, you know, begging and all that…" Ron stammered, still blushing. Hermoine's giggle came floating down the stairs, followed by Ginny's voice saying something indistinct by happy. Ron grinned and looked down, pretending to work. Harry just smiled.

"It's about time mate!" he said finally. Ron looked up surprised. "You and Hermoine have been crushing on each other for far too long," Harry explained. As Ron continued to stare, Harry grabbed the notes from him and started reading, ignoring his friend's stupefied look. Despite what Ginny had said, Harry's heart was lighter knowing that at least some of his friends were happy.

And then one day, the unthinkable happened.

Harry and Ginny had been civilized with one another since that night all those weeks ago, but it was nothing near the friendship they'd had before Malfoy had stepped into their lives. Instead of focusing on a relationship he couldn't understand, Harry instead watched and Ron and Hermoine grew closer together, they're heads always bent together talking or working in amiable silence. It was a little weird for Harry, hanging out with them. Both Hermoine and Ron sensed this though and they always included him, trying their best to make it feel like the olds days.

Today though, they'd gone off to Hogsmead to have a day together. Harry had told them to do it too. He wanted to spend the day taking care of his broomstick, lounging around and relaxing. Almost everyone had gone to Hogsmead, the day being so fine. Harry wasn't used to the common room being so quiet during the day. He worked steadily on his broomstick, making it look almost brand new. It was a fine thing, and he wished he could fly it. Maybe later he would.

Leaving his broomstick on the table, he packed up all of his other things and ran upstairs to put them away and grab a warmer robe. It was a fine day for flying indeed.

Coming back down the stairs two at a time, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw lying in front of the fire. A desperate sob reached his ears, and Harry quickly crossed the distance to the fireplace and crouched down.

"Ginny?"

'At long last!' Ginny though, dancing around her dorm room joyously. Everyone has gone to Hogsmead, and her and Draco could have the day together. No prying eyes, no sly remarks, no comments, no one to worry about. It would be glorious! She threw herself down on the bed, overcome by a fit of giggles. She waited in the common room until everyone was gone, and then she's practically danced her way to the Room of Requirement. There was a rose petal lying in the middle of the hallway; Draco's sign that he was waiting for her. Fluffing her hair, she took a deep breath to calm the butterflies in her stomach and paced in front of the rose petal three times, thinking about the surprise Draco had planned for her.

When the door appeared, she grabbed it and threw it open, almost running inside. She gasped and stopped short as she ran into the most romantic room she had ever seen. There was Draco, her Draco, leaning oh-so-suavely against one of the posts on the four poster bed. The silken green bed sheets were strewn with rose petals, candles glowed on every surface and the air was heady with a sweet smell that Ginny didn't recognize.

Draco came forward, smiling at her. "Hey babe," he cooed, hugging her tightly and planting a kiss on her lips. She tried to pull away to look around the room again, but he forced his tongue into her mouth and she felt herself melting under his kiss. Her curiosity vanished as Draco easily picked her up and carried her to the bed. He continued to kiss her deeply as he tried to undo her dress, her favorite dress that she had worn especially for him despite the February chill still in the air. His hands became urgent and he started tearing. Ginny panicked and pulled out of the kiss.

"Draco," she began, but he cut her off by pressing a finger to her lips. Smiling his sweet smile, he began kissing her again, gently. While his kisses were gentle, his fingers weren't.

"Ow," Ginny muttered between kisses. And then finally, "you're hurting me Draco, stop."

The sound of his palm hitting her cheek rent the air, breaking the mood he had so carefully set. "You're ruining it Ginny," he sneered, pinning her down. "Stop it."

With that, all the gentleness he'd be feigning before disappeared as he tore at the straps on her dress to get it off of her. Ginny started twisting underneath him, trying to get away. She wasn't ready for this, she was too young. And this wasn't how she wanted it to be. She tried to tell Draco to stop again, and he hit her again, and again, laughing as tears started running down her cheeks. She lay quiet for a minute, wondering why this was happening to her. He was too strong, there was nothing she could do to stop him. Draco took the opportunity while she was quiet to struggle out of his pants, trusting to the fact that he'd beat her enough to keep her still. Smirking to himself, he brought one of his hands from where it pinned her arms down to his belt. As he leered into Ginny's face, Ginny thoughts returned to her first year here at Hogwarts, when Tom Riddle had tricked her with his diary and she'd been helpless. Well, she wasn't helpless now. With newfound strength, Ginny heaved Draco off of her, and ran for the door. He grabbed the hem of her dress, tearing it more, but Ginny turned and kicked him, not caring where, and fled as though Voldemort was after her.

She didn't remember much of the race back to the Gryffindor tower. She clutched her tattered dress around her shoulders and climbed through the entrance, ignoring the Fat Lady's questions and horrified looks. Throwing herself down on the carpet by the roaring fire, Ginny let go of her self-control and held herself in a ball, crying for what she'd lost.

She heard Harry call her name, and she gasped, trying to cover herself with as best she could with what was left of her dress. She turned her face away from him, wishing he would go away. But she couldn't find the strength to tell him that.

Harry looked around, glad that everyone had gone for the day. "Ginny, are you hurt?" he asked, not daring to touch her. She shook her head, not meeting his eyes. He grabbed a blanket from the couch and covered her with it, hating how she cringed from his touch. He could already see bruises forming along her jaw line. Clenching his teeth to keep from saying anything, Harry sat down on the floor beside Ginny and gently moved her head into his lap. He sat like that, stroking her hair while she cried for a few minutes, until he heard voices in the hallway. He heard Ginny's sharp intake of breath, and thought desperately. Quickly he stood, cradling a now-silent Ginny in his arms. He thought about taking her up to her dorm, but then he remembered that the girl's staircase didn't allow boys into the girl's dorms. Knowing how bad it would look later when everyone found out, Harry carried Ginny careful up to his dorm, putting her down on his bed and watching as she curled herself into a tighter ball. Though she was still crying, it was only silent tears that coursed down her cheeks. Harry shut the door to the dorm room and sat back down next to Ginny.

"Why did he do that?," Ginny whispered after a few moments of silence.

"Why did who would do what?" Harry asked quietly, fearing the answer. Ginny turned frightened and uncomprehending eyes towards him, green met blue, and Ginny didn't need to say anything for Harry to understand. Her eyes, her torn dress and what he had witnessed the other night filled in the blanks. With a snarl, Harry exploded from the bed, and started pacing, muttering to himself all the foul things he was going to do to Malfoy next time he saw him. As he turned to pace back towards Ginny, he noticed that she was crying again, and he rushed to her side.

"Ginny, oh Ginny. This should never have happened, it shouldn't have been you." Harry pulled her close and hugged her, unconsciously pressing a kiss to her forehead. He held her like this until her crying stopped. Pulling away a little bit, he met her eyes and looked deep into them, searching for answers.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked gently. Ginny said nothing, and turned her face away. Putting a cautious hand to her cheek, Harry wiped away a tear with his thumb. "Ginny, you need to tell me what happened. Did he touch you? Did he…" Harry swallowed and continued, wishing he didn't have to say it. "Did he rape you?"

Ginny stared at him before answering, not sure what to say. "Yes and no," she answered finally, sniffling. "He touched me and I know what he wanted. But I didn't let him." She watched her fingers curl themselves into fists, feeling stronger. "I didn't let him."

"That's good Ginny, that's really good. You're strong, and much too good for the likes of Malfoy," Harry said, trying to lighten the mood. "He'll never deserve you, not in a million lifetimes."

Ginny looked up at Harry and smiled tentatively. "I am strong. I didn't sit back and let the bad things happen to me. I did something about them."

Ginny was glowing with her newfound strength, and before he knew what he was doing, Harry was laughing and kissing her, pulling her close and holding her tightly. Pulling back from the kiss, Harry grinned at Ginny. He didn't know how to tell her how proud he was that she'd found her strength. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, but the words died on his lips as he realized what he'd just done, and what had just happened to her. It was unfair to throw something like that at a girl who'd just gone through what Ginny had gone through. He coughed and let go of Ginny, moving himself farther away.

"Ginny, look, I'm, uh…" He struggled to find the words, but Ginny didn't give him time to. Placing a hand on his cheek, Ginny turned his face towards her own and gently kissed his lips. "Don't be sorry," she whispered.

Standing, Ginny squeezed Harry's hand and opened the door. "Where are you going?" Harry asked, wanting her to stay.

"To change silly," she said, smiling. Harry nodded, the sorrow back in his eyes as he remembered why her dress was torn in the first place. Shaking her head, Ginny laughed. "I can't go on a first date with you looking like this."

And with that she bounced out of the room, purposefully ignoring what had happened to her. Ginny knew that only by focusing on the good could she ignore the bad. And Harry was good for her, she had always known that she'd end up with him. It had just taken her some time to realize it.


End file.
